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Nigeria’s federal government has noted that it has adjusted the design of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway due to unavoidable circumstances. The government has slashed the proposed lanes from ten as planned earlier to six. The Federal Government says it has also rerouted the project’s path to avoid any possible damage to subsea cables belonging to telecommunication companies. The rerouting of paths and reduction of lanes is a precautionary measure and a cost-saving measure as well. The minister of works, David Umahi, noted these in an announcement where he met with contractors in Abuja. The minister also noted that the government has disbursed nearly $6 million to compensate property owners affected by the demolitions. The demolitions affect those within the designed path for constructing the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The State of Affairs Regarding the $2 Billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
The Minister of Works has reassured Nigerians that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is going as planned. The minister showed optimism as he announced that the first 47 kilometers of the project would be open to the public by May of next year. The project is designed to extend through nine states with two spurs leading to the northern states using concrete pavement. Furthermore, the government is doing this to ensure seamless transportation services across Nigeria. He said, “For the three legacy projects by the administration, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, we have cut the project size to six lanes, especially from sections two, three, and four. It shows you that we mean business. Some people have been writing that we have stopped the project. No project is stopped. As we are talking, over four kilometers of concrete road have been completed on six lanes.
The Challenges Facing One of Nigeria’s Mega Projects
One of the challenges the $2 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has had to endure is its rerouting from earlier designs. “We had to establish a new path due to complaints from MTN on its subsea cable and Okuaja community. We had to reroute not to the new alignment, not to the gazetted alignment, but far away from the two, and we came back to a new alignment at kilometer 25. So the work is going well, and it’s moving smoothly. We have paid the total compensation of close to N10bn,” said the minister.However, the minister did not hide his disappointment and regret over the scarcity of funds, noting that the government inherited over 2,600 projects valued at N15tn. In explaining the payment delay to contractors, Umahi mentioned that aside from the inherited projects, the government initiated 330 emergency projects totaling N260bn. He noted that the issue is being addressed, and a consensus will be reached soon.
Other Similar Mega Projects Being Constructed by the Federal Government
One of the significant projects that compliments the $2 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is the 1000-km Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway. The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, earlier noted that President Bola Tinubu has given the green light to commence the design of the 1000-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway. Furthermore, he said the road would connect the South-West, South-South, North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions of Nigeria when completed. The project is also expected to ensure connectivity between five states directly to the Coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Badagry. |
